Garden of Whispers
by CrazyRabidPony
Summary: Bee Movie. Takes place months after the movie. Barry acknowedges his feelings for Vanessa, but will he be willing to risk their frienship for something more? Contains Barry/Vanessa fluff!
1. Winter Preparation

Pony: All right! Finally, a Bee Movie fanfiction! Why is it so hard finding fics for this? It's such a wonderful movie! Disclaim, Disclaimer Dude!

Disclaimer Dude: Pony doesn't own Bee Movie or references that may appear.

**Garden of Whispers**

_**Chapter One: Winter Preparation**_

That time of year was approaching. The sun was rising later and falling earlier each day, the plant life was beginning to shrivel up from the decrease in temperature and the animals were hard at work to store up their food supplies for the harsh season that was peaking around the corner with cold eyes and a malicious smile. Winter was coming and no creature was harder at labor than the bees. Bees toiled day and night in order to create enough honey to sustain each and every one of them throughout winter. The hive was highly dependant on the royally-bred pollen jocks for the supply of nectar. The searches for traces of the highly-sought liquid were becoming desperate. Often, swarms would venture out of their territory and the competition grew quite fierce; all for the sake of their hive's survival. There was no doubt that the regal pollen jocks were the hardest working bees of all.

. . .

Barry B. Benson slept soundly within the warm comfort of his bed. The little bee wasn't born of royal pedigree, but he was a pollen jock, nothingtheless. Along with every other pollen jock, he toiled throughout the chilling season in search for nectar from the remaining shriveled-up flowers. Lacking the physical advantages branded into the bloodlines of the burly jocks, the extra labor preparing for winter left Barry exhausted. Most of the time, he was too overworked to function at his second job at the flower shop, bringing concern onto those around him.

The bright yellow hexagonal alarm clock sitting upon the night stand abreast Barry's bed let out its obnoxious ringing. The little bee awoke from his slumber from the noise. He groaned sleepily and pulled the covers over his head in attempt to resume his much-needed rest, but the continuous ringing made it impossible. He sighed in defeat and slipped an arm out from under the covers to turn off the victorious alarm clock, which ringed almost mockingly. His hand searched blindly for the clock until he finally found it. Instead of turning it off, his hand accidentally knocked the clock off the night stand where it continued its ringing on the floor. The little bee let out a frustrated groan upon realizing what had happened. He really didn't want to get up. His exhausted body needed more rest. For he wasn't bred to endure the winter preparation like the pollen jocks were.

A few moments had passed before Barry forced his tired, aching body out of bed and finally silencing the alarm clock's ringing.

_Four thirty_, Barry read the hands upon the silent clock's glowing face. He rubbed his heavy eyes as he set the clock upon the night stand, "I swear they're trying to kill me..."

Barry flipped the light switch and blinked a few times for his eyes to adjust. Once his eyes were adjusted, he shuffled across his room to the sink. He felt more awake once he cleansed his face with the warm honey that flowed from the faucet. He made use of the excess honey that dripped from his hands to tame any visible unkept fuzz. He didn't have time for a thorough grooming. He had spent enough time just waking himself up. When he was dressed, the little bee lethargically made his way downstairs. He was donning his sweater backwards, but he was much too tired to notice.

Once out the door, Barry took to the air. For he knew that driving to work in his state would be hazardous and irresponsible. His body felt heavy and his wings ached, but he buckled down and soon arrived at the entrance which was kept visible with beams of light, more exhausted than ever. He made a brief trip to his locker in order to collect his uniform and equipment. The extra burden only made it harder for him.

Barry joined his group on the runway and they all crouched into position. He gazed at the burly bees surrounding him. They looked fresh as if they haven't even worked in days.

_They're not tired at all_, Barry commented mentally. _How do they do it?_

The leader of Barry's group turned his head to look at his comrade. He acknowledged his exhaustion and his facial expression contorted in reassurance, "Hang in there, kid. It's the last day."

"...Yeah..." Barry responded groggily.

As soon as the runway was clear, they took off. The park was blanketed in fog, making it difficult for the pollen jocks to fly. Barry and his group advanced farther and farther into the park. They scanned the shriveling flowers along the boarder of their hive's territory. Ultraviolet vision had to be used constantly in order to view through the dense fog.

"This is Blue Leader. Any signs of untouched flowers?" the lead jock of Barry's unit questioned, scanning each flower carefully.

"Negative," the other two jocks confirmed in disappointment.

"What about you, Benson?" Blue Leader addressed the little bee who was fighting to stay awake. He didn't respond.

"Benson!" he yelled, causing Barry to snap out of his unresponsive state.

"Nothing," the surprised bee answered.

"I'm telling you, there's no nectar left," the second-in-command stated with confidence.

"Well, we can't just go back to the hive," piped the third pollen jock.

"We have to keep searching. The hive's counting on us," Blue Leader concluded.

While the trio of pollen jocks continued their flight at a steady pace, Barry began falling behind, his energy diminishing. Little did he know that he was being stalked.

"Hold on, boys," Blue Leader halted and hovered in place. The other two pollen jocks did the same, and gave him questioning expressions. He didn't see their faces within the gloom, but he felt them, "Benson's falling behind."

The trio of pollen jocks could barely pick up the tiny yellow and black speck in the distance. The third pollen jock shuddered suddenly. His two comrades looked at him.

"Do you guys have the feeling we're being watched?" he asked, his voice laced with unease.

" You always think something's watching you," the second-in-command said in annoyance. He crossed his arms across his deep chest, "Just because once a girl was peeping in the boy's bathroom in grade school, you think someone's always watching you."

"Seriously. I think we're being watched!"

"Seriously. I think you're being paranoid!"

Blue Leader averted his attention back to Barry, who was slowly catching up. Then something else caught his eyes. Two orbs of green glowed ominously within the shriveled patch of flowers below Barry.

"Benson! Behind you!" Blue Leader shouted, grabbing the little bee's attention.

"What?" Barry turned around cautiously in time to see a blur of silver lunge at him. He yelled out in surprise and made a mad dash in the opposite direction, avoiding the assailant.

"CAT!" Barry's group screamed upon analyzing and acknowledging their attacker.

A small silver tabby kitten with bright, playful eyes crouched in position below Barry, readying its next pounce.

"Stop that!" Barry barely managed to dodge the fluffy kitten's claws.

"Pway!" the kitten squealed, a smile forming on the young feline's muzzle.

The jocks raised a confused brow in response.

"'Pway'?" Blue Leader repeated.

"I... think he said 'play'," said the third pollen jock.

"No, I believe he said 'prey'," the second-in-command commented.

"He said 'play'!"

"'Prey'!"

"Cut it out!" Blue Leader halted his comrades' arguing, "It doesn't matter! Right now we have a problem to deal with."

"Pway!" the silver tabby leaped into the air with surprising agility. With a quick swipe of his paw, a single claw grazed Barry's jacket, creating a large rip. The momentum sent the little bee hurling into a wilting tulip. Dazed from the impact, he remained where he was as the kitten advanced upon him. The feline's eyes glittered with playful innocence as he raised a paw that should end the little bee's life.

"Benson's been catapulted!" Blue Leader exclaimed not noticing that he made a pun, "I'm going in, boys! Nice knowing ya!"

The last sentence startled the duo of pollen jocks. They immediately knew what their leader was planning to do in order to save their fallen comrade. They could only watch in horror.

Blue Leader zoomed pass the kitten, gaining his attention. Then, making a u-turn, he unsheathed his stinger and charged at the kitten. The furry mammal yowled in pain when the stinger sank into his nose. The pollen jock felt a rush of fiery ecstasy followed by tingling numbness. The stinger detached from him with a loud pop and his lower body went completely numb.

The kitten fled, his agonized cries could still be heard in the distance. Blue Leader staggered about weakly until his horrified teammates rushed over to him and aided him to a soft landing upon a flower petal. He grew more and more pale as the life drained from him.

Barry had finally shaken his dizziness. He surveyed his surroundings, squinting hard into the fog for the rest of his group. At last, he found them on a single flower petal and he quickly flew to them. The little bee landed before Blue Leader, who was lying on his back with a pollen jock kneeling at each side gazing down upon him sorrowfully. Barry observed that their leader was missing his stinger.

_Oh no... _Barry thought. The bewilderment in his eyes revealed that he knew his commander had given his life to save him. The bee was driven with grief and extreme guilt.

"Men..." Blue Leader addressed the two pollen jocks at his side, receiving their immediate attention. His voice was weak and his breathing was heavily labored, "It... was an... honor working... with you... two... for... all these years..."

The two pollen jocks nodded in response. Their glossy eyes showed it was an emotional moment for them. Barry only watched, moved with the emotional display before him.

"You guys... are like... brothers to me..." Blue Leader continued.

"That's because we are..." the second-in-command informed, still keeping the grief in his voice.

"W-we were born from the same quee-een," said the other pollen jock, trying his very best to keep his voice from cracking.

Realization replaced the confusion in Blue Leader's dull eyes, "Oh... anyway... I... need you boys to... do me a favor..."

Blue Leader's comrades nodded. He knew they would do anything for him.

"T-tell my father... tell my father he... he snores..."

Barry raised his brows, _Snores?_

The two jocks nodded, their expressions never changing.

"Then... tell my mother... she wears too much perfume... After that... tell my wife... she needs... to lose a little weight... and my son... tell my son... he's a dork..." Blue Leader paused to take a few raspy breaths, "But... make sure... you tell them all... I love them..."

After Blue Leader breathed that last sentence, the cold hands of death claimed him. Barry and his remaining teammates hung their heads in grief.

_I'm sorry, sir_, Barry prayed, _It was all my fault..._

When the moment of silence ended, the former third-in-rank pollen jock broke into hysterics. The ex-second-in-command allowed his bawling comrade to lean on him. He gave him a brotherly pat on the back in attempt to console him.

Barry was not looking forward to facing the rest of the force.

. . .

Barry was relieved when he didn't receive a torrent of blame for the fallen pollen jock. He was sure Lou Lo Duca was going to unleash a storm of thunderous fury after he was informed of what happened. The pollen jock veteran was very understanding.

A military funeral was held in Blue Leader's honor. Lou Lo Duca confronted Barry a second time once the funeral had ended. He gazed into the little bee's troubled eyes and spoke firmly, "Son, I know you think you're responsible for the death of your commander. You need to understand that it's not your fault."

Barry looked into the veteran bee's eyes, confused, "It's not?"

"No, Benson, it's not your fault. Deaths like these happen. It's part of being a pollen jock. The same thing happened to me in my days as a rookie and I felt the same way you did."

Barry felt the burdening guilt lift from him, "You did?"

Lou Lo Duca nodded, "I did. More deaths followed and I learned it was all part of the job."

Though Barry was relieved to know Blue Leader's demise wasn't his fault, he couldn't help but still feel grief.

"You're dismissed, Benson."

"Thank you, sir," Barry and Lou Lo Duca exchanged salutes and the little bee flew back home to get himself ready for his shift at the flower shop. He made it through the last day of pollen jocking and he and Vanessa had a celebration planned for tonight.


	2. Worry

Pony: Here's chapter two! Hurrah!

Disclaimer Dude: Pony doesn't own Bee Movie or any references that may appear in this fic.

**Garden of Whispers**

_**Chapter Two: Worry**_

Barry flew from the hive, dressed in his business suit and thoroughly groomed. He made his way through the thick fog on his usual route to the flower shop. The morning sunshine barely penetrated the veil of gloom that surrounded New York City. The fog flowed into the streets like rivers, giving it a mysterious feel. Lights from buildings, cars, and street lamps shone through the fog like beacons.

Barry arrived at the flower shop, tired and holding a little lingering depression, but looking forward to the rest of the day; mostly eager to see his human companion, Vanessa. The grey sidewalk laying out in front of the shop donned stripes of yellow light that peaked through the vertical blinds on the shop's few windows. Even though the inside of the shop was lit up, the "closed" side of the sign was visible through the door. The little bee was early. He brushed off any dust particles that clung onto his business suit. Once he decided he was presentable, he flew to the door and peeked inside, eyes darting rapidly for the florist. The bee shivered in the cold air as he waited for her.

"Come on, Vanessa..." Barry muttered, his breath flowing from his mouth in tiny clouds. He used his sleeve to wipe off the fogged-up spot his breath created on the glass surface of the door.

Finally, Vanessa Bloome emerged from the back room and she gracefully strode to the cash register wearing a relaxed smile. Barry flew closer to the door and brought a hand to the glass exterior. Vanessa had knelt onto the floor in order to perfect the positions of several terra cotta pots. She brushed a stray strand of hair from her face as she rose to her feet. He sighed deeply, creating a fogged spot bigger than his head. The bee groaned and quickly wiped it away with his sleeve, allowing him to see again.

Catching movement at the door from the corner of her eye, Vanessa curiously turned her head. She smiled at the sight of her little bee friend and walked toward the door to let him in. Barry smiled back, acknowledging that she noticed his presence. Whatever little depression he felt earlier was now gone. Just one smile from the woman was enough to fill him with happiness.

Barry shivered from the cold that wrapped itself around him like a boa constrictor. His shivering didn't go unnoticed by the florist. Vanessa pratically ran the rest of the way to the door and opened it long enough for him to quickly fly inside before shutting it, refusing to let the frigid air enter. Before she could say a single word, the little bee had flown to her. He pressed his cold body against her neck in order to warm himself. Vanessa was almost stunned by what she thought at first was an act of affection; until she noticed how cold her little friend's body was.

"Oh my. Barry, you're freezing!" Vanessa exclaimed in a tone filled with concern. She gently placed a hand on Barry's body, excluding his head, to help him warm up.

"I s-s-see you've-ve-ve n-n-noticed," Barry shivered in a positive nature, in attempt to lighten up his friend.

"You poor little guy," the florist cooed and placed her other hand on top of the other covering Barry, giving him an extra layer of warmth.

Barry let out a slight chuckle and nestled snuggly into the soft, warm skin of Vanessa's neck. He inhaled the sweet smells that wafted from her skin. The little bee could tell it had not been more than an hour since his friend stepped out of the shower, for the scent of body wash she used was still strong. The mixture of the sweet smell and her natural female scent was intoxicating to him. He closed his eyes and continued inhaling the mesmerizing aroma to fully appreciate the moment. The bee had not noticed that Vanessa was taking them into the office where two cups of hot coffee awaited.

The combination of Vanessa saying Barry's name and the vibration from her vocal chords snapped the little bee out of his trance.

"Hm?" Barry's eyes snapped open and removed his head from the florist's neck, "Yeah?"

"Warm now?" Vanessa removed the bee from her neck and held him before her in her cupped hands. She smiled at him, but Barry could still see that worry lingered in her eyes.

"Yeah, thanks," Barry smiled warmly. The florist gave him a nod in response, acknowledging that he was grateful for helping him warm up.

"Mm-hm," Vanessa sat herself in the chair at the desk and brought her cupped hands to the mug next to hers with a thin straw that stuck out of the hot, brown liquid like a reed, "I already poured you a cup of coffee."

"Oh!" Barry flew from his friend's cupped hands and landed upon the handle of the mug that was for him. The bee was shot with the pleasantly hot steam rising from the brown liquid as he gazed into the mug.

"It already has a cube of sugar stirred into it," Vanessa informed her little friend after taking a sip of her own coffee.

Barry turned his head to Vanessa and flashed her a grateful smile, "Thanks, Van. I appreciate it."

"You're welcome, Barry," the florist replied in her gentle, sweet tone that never failed to warm Barry's heart.

Barry's eyelids began to droop. He let out a yawn and rubbed his eyes. The bee saw that Vanessa's expression had changed into one of concern when he looked back at her.

"Barry, are you okay?" she queried gently. Her friend had been this way ever since he, along with the other pollen jocks, had started preparing for winter. She had given him many chances to spend his shift resting, but he would always decline and get to work.

"I'm fine," he replied in a somewhat groggy voice.

"Are you sure?"

"Yeah. I just need a little coffee..." Barry turned his attention to his cup of coffee. He grabbed a hold onto the straw and began sucking up the caffeinated drink.

Vanessa frowned as she sat, watching Barry injest his coffee. She admired the little bee's devotion to his work, but she really wished he would take up her offer for some much needed rest. He always arrived so exhausted since the beginning of winter preparation. Pushing himself so hard worried the florist to no end. Her gaze shifted into her coffee cup. If this continued on, she didn't know what she would do.

Barry ceased drinking and pushed the straw aside, causing it to drift to the other side of his cup. He looked up at his human friend and felt a bout of concern when he saw her gazing unhappily into her coffee, "Van? You alright?"

The florist snapped out of her thoughts. The two sets of worried eyes met and observed each other, "I'm fine."

Barry instantly knew what was bothering Vanessa. She was worried about him. The little bee knew his human. He and Vanessa had bonded so tightly over the year. Knowing that she cared so much about him made his heart throb. He had to let her know that she didn't need to worry so much anymore. For the hive didn't need him now that he was finished with winter preparation.

"Vanny," Barry began gently, "You don't have to worry so much over me. I just finished my last shift of winter preparation."

"I know, Barry... but, what about tomorrow?" the florist asked worriedly. She knew the grueling winter preparation was over. She was concerned about what kind of labor tomorrow would bring onto her dear friend.

Barry smiled, "Tomorrow I'll be resting. The hive doesn't need me after preparing for winter."

Vanessa's eyes lit up as she was swept with relief, "Oh!"

"'Oh'!" Barry repeated cheekily, "Yeah."

Vanessa smiled brightly. She set her mug down on the desk, her eyes alight with curiosity, "So... what do pollen jocks do during winter?"

"Mostly guard duty and stuff they really don't need me for," Barry answered, "They're usually used as security guards during the Christmas rush."

Vanessa nodded in acknowledgment, "Well, I'm glad. Now you can spend the evening resting."

"Vanessa, what about our celebration we have this evening?" Barry asked, his voiced hinted with mild disappointment.

"Barry, you really should be resting," Vanessa's face, again, contorted into one of worry, "You're exhausted."

"Vanny, we've been looking forward to this all season," Barry reasoned.

"Barry..."

"Come on, I'll get plenty of rest tonight. Please?" Barry smiled in a pouting manner in attempt to manipulate Vanessa.

The florist smiled and melted helplessly. She couldn't resist the little bee's sweet face and those little blue eyes, "Okay, Barry... Promise you'll get plenty of rest."

Barry laughed, "I promise."

Vanessa sighed, "Thank you."

Barry looked up at the clock, they still had an hour to spend before it was time to open up the shop.

"So..." Vanessa began, "New clients arriving today."

"Yep," Barry opened up the briefcase sitting on the tiny desk that rested in the middle of the desk, "They call themselves 'The Breakfast Bunch'."

Vanessa chuckled lightly.

"There's a... rabbit... a rooster... a cuckoo... a toucan..." Barry said as he went down the list of his clients.

"That's nice," Vanessa smiled, taking a sip of her coffee.

"And there's a wolf, a bear and a tiger."

Vanessa almost spit out her coffee, "Oh my..."

Barry turned to the florist, "Now don't you start worrying again, young lady. You've done enough of that."

Vanessa rolled her eyes and laughed. This would be one interesting case.


	3. Barry's New Clients

Pony: All right! Here is chapter three! Rejoice and disclaim, Disclaimer Dude!

Disclaimer Dude: I'll just disclaim. Pony doesn't own Bee Movie or any of the breakfast cereals and their mascots appearing in this fic.

**Garden of Whispers**

_**Chapter Three: Barry's Clients**_

Vanessa took another sip of coffee as she watched Barry go through his papers.

"My clients will be arriving soon," Barry informed the florist.

"'You're' clients? Isn't Mooseblood helping you with this case?" Vanessa asked.

"Not this one," Barry answered, "Mooseblood left on his vacation to Mexico to see a friend. Someone named 'El Chupacabra'."

"Oh... okay..." the florist nodded slowly.

"I sure hope I can help my clients," said the little bee as he finished organizing the stack of papers.

"I know you can, Barry," Vanessa assured gently.

Barry turned to his human companion and smiled. The florist instantly smiled back. The little bee knew he would always have Vanessa's support and she would always be there for him when he needed her.

"Thanks, Vanny," the little bee said, his face conveying his deepest sincerity, "I know I'm gonna need your help."

"Well, you let me know when you need anything," the florist replied casually, as if it was no big deal. To tell the truth, to Vanessa, it was a big deal. Ever since she met Barry, she felt that she was truly appreciated. Including the smallest things she did for him, the little bee was grateful for her. Whether it may be opening a door for him or driving off an assailant intending on swatting him, the expression on the face of the bee told her she was important. She loved how he made her feel so big and strong, especially after being viewed upon by the people around her as the sweet little girl.

The two individuals gazed at each other in admiration. They remained that way for a few moments, then Vanessa broke the silence, "I... should get to opening up the shop."

"Yeah, maybe you should," Barry replied as he turned to look at the clock on the wall.

"We don't want to keep any customers waiting!" Vanessa chirped cheerfully.

"Right," Barry agreed, automatically matching his friend's cheerful tone as if her energy had rubbed off onto him, "We don't need an angry mob breaking down our door!"

"No, we certainly don't," the florist giggled while heading for the office door. She looked back at Barry before stepping out, "Good luck, Barry."

The bee gave the florist a nod. She left the office, closing the door behind her. Barry sat himself at his little desk and waited. He smiled as he listened to the usual noises Vanessa made when she opened up. He soon heard the bell ring when someone walked into the shop. The little bee stood from his seat and listened eagerly for any indication that the individual who entered the shop might be one of his clients. He sat back down once he heard Vanessa greet the newcomer in a calm tone. It was only a human.

. . .

Vanessa stood at the cash register. She handed a customer her change when suddenly, screams of terror could be heard outside. She and the line of alarmed customers curiously turned their heads to see what was causing the hullabaloo. The customers let out gasps of fright as a light brown grizzly bear wearing a black tie and carrying a briefcase in a massive paw appeared at the shop's door. He pushed the door open and struggled briefly to fit his broad, nine-foot frame through the doorway. A tall, burly man let out a high-pitch girly shriek and leaped into the arms of an old lady standing next to him. The bear walked on his hind legs toward the cash register where Vanessa stood nervously. The line of customers immediately scrambled from their single-file line, pushing each other aside to escape the shop first. They all ran back inside upon viewing the group of animals standing on their hind legs just outside the shop. The crowd of panicking people huddled amongst each other like penguins at the far end of the room. The level of terror rose when the rest of the animals entered the shop and gathered behind the bear.

The florist gazed up at the beast towering above her, his eyes glowing. Vanessa finally spoke, her voice clearly conveying her unease, "Um... you're here to see Barry Benson?"

The grizzly's glowering eyes softened. He opened his mouth to speak. His voice, surprisingly wasn't very loud for a creature his size. It was calm, deep, and gentle, "Yes. Can you please direct me and my associates to his office?"

"Sure. It's right over there," Vanessa replied, her voice free from unease, as she motioned into the direction of Barry's office.

"Thank you very much," the massive animal nodded politely, but without a smile. He jerked his neck, signaling the rest of the animals to follow him to the office. The bear strode heavily to the office door and the animals followed suit. The tiger, wolf, rabbit, toucan, cuckoo, and rooster waited anxiously for their friend to open the door. The bear's long claws couldn't get a grip onto the metal doorknob.

Vanessa stepped over the small animals and squeezed through the big ones to open the door herself, "Let me get that for you."

"Oh, thank you," the bear thanked Vanessa as she opened the door for him, again without a smile. The animals followed the bear into the office after another brief moment of struggling to fit his body through the doorway.

The florist closed the door when the last animal entered the office. She turned to the clutter of frightened people at the far end of the room. Vanessa smiled and took her place behind the cash register, "Can I help who's next?"

A small portion of the terrified crowd stared at Vanessa as if she was insane and they bolted out of the shop as fast as they could. The rest hurried to her, anxious to buy what they came for and leave as soon as possible.

. . .

Barry gazed individually at each animal that stood up on their hind legs before him. The grizzly bear in a tie and a briefcase in one paw stood mighty and dignified. There was a gentle, but commanding glow in his eyes that demanded respect. The tiger wore a red bandana around her neck and there was a large, round lump jutting out of the lower abdomen. The wolf donned a bright red hoodie and his face bore a relaxed, carefree expression. The rabbit was basically a white furball with wild eyes. The toucan had an extra long beak with rings of all the colors of the rainbow and eyes filled with anxiety. The cuckoo's entire light brown body jittered and his left eye twitched in irritation. The rooster's head looked in every direction, surveying his new surroundings with crazed eyes.

"Alright, have a seat and we'll get started," Barry began after surveying his clients. The animals obeyed and sat them selves in the chairs in front of the desk. It didn't take long for the chair the bear was sitting in to give away under his weight. The bear gave the bee an apologetic glance, "Don't worry about it, sir. We have plenty of chairs."

The grizzly grunted in response and rose to his feet. He was surprised by the immediate generosity he was recieving by one of the enemy of his kind, "That is awfully kind of you, Mr. Benson. You're a good bee and I'm sure we'll have no problem setting aside our differences as we work together."

Barry was relieved to learn he wouldn't be recieving any hostility from the grizzly. To a bee, there was nothing scarier than a hostile bear. The little bee pulled out a clean sheet of paper to jot down notes for future use, "I feel the same way, Mr. Sugar Bear. So I hear you and your associates are looking to suing a few breakfast cereal companies?"

"Correct, Mr. Benson," Sugar Bear nodded, "For many years, us and our family members have been exploited to promote their products. We never had a say in whether we wanted to or not."

"We have been denied our civil rights!" the tiger hissed, the bridge of her nose lightly wrinkled.

"Yeah, man, it's an outrage," the wolf declared calmly, but not without anger.

"Colonel Sanders is lucky he's dead!" the rooster exclaimed, his eyes bulging. He recieved confused expressions in response.

The only sound that was heard within the room was a chirping cricket which sat inside the pocket of the wolf's hoodie. In unison, the individuals averted their attention to a young cricket sticking its head out of its pocket, gazing at the crowd of animals with large, innocent child eyes. It immediately ceased rubbing its legs together, "Sorry."

"It's alright, Momo," the wolf smiled at the young insect, "Go back to sleep, little buddy, nap time isn't over yet."

"Okay..." Momo said unenthusiastically and he burrowed into the depths of his pocket.

The wolf looked at Barry and gave a hearty chuckle, "Kids."

Barry chuckled back, "Yeah... so anyway, who's Colonel Sanders?"

The rooster's bulging eyes glittered, "He's the root of all evil! The reason for the deaths and suffering of millions every year! He–"

The tiger interrupted, "He's the human who invented Kentucky Fried Chicken."

"Oh, I see," the little bee nodded, still slightly confused, "And why is he lucky he's dead?"

"My ancestors were champions in the cock fighting ring!"

"Don't lishten to him, Mishter Benshon," said the rabbit. She possessed a speech impediment due to her incisor teeth, "He'sh a little... cuckoo."

"He is not!" the cuckoo exclaimed, "He's the chicken! I'm the cuckoo!"

"I shall not argue with you on that one," the toucan grinned.

"Good!" the cuckoo crossed his wings as a smug smile spread across his beak, not realizing he had just been insulted.

The bee blinked, "All right... Mr. Bear, let's see what evidence you brought."

"Of course," Sugar Bear set the briefcase upon the surface of the desk before Barry's bug-sized desk. He opened it up and presented the bee with several boxes of cereal, "Here they are, Mr. Benson. My Golden Grams, Tony's Frosted Flakes, Chip's Cookie Crisp, Sam's Froot Loops, Trix Rabbit's Trix--"

"I prefer to be called 'Trixshie'!" the rabbit declared with indignance.

"Right," Sugar Bear continued, "Trixie's Trix, Rooster's–"

"Chizzler!" the rooster cawed.

Sugar Bear sighed, "Chizzler's Corn Flakes and Sonny's Coco Puffs."

"Coco Puffs!" Sonny leaped into the air excitedly, his eyes hungrily glued to the box of Coco Puffs, "I'm cuckoo for Coco Puffs!"

"I don't think so, fellow," Toucan Sam tackled Sonny to the floor before he could make his mad dive at the box of cereal he craved.

"Coco Puffs!" Sonny flailed against the toucan restraining him.

Barry watched in awe at the insanity displayed before him, "Uh... does this happen often?"

"Yes," came a monotonous drone from the remaining animals.

"Oh... okay..." Barry turned his head to the clock and sighed. Five minutes have barely passed. He tried not to think about how much more insanity would unfold until his time with his clients would be up.

"COCO PUFFS!!"


	4. Issues

Pony: Woot! Here's chapter four! Disclaim, Disclaimer Dude!

Disclaimer Dude: Pony doesn't own Bee Movie or any references appearing in this fic.

**Garden of Whispers**

_**Chapter Four: Issues**_

Barry waited patiently as Toucan Sam and Trixie struggled to subdue Sonny. This task was accomplished when the toucan shoved the cuckoo headfirst into an empty vase the rabbit retrieved. They both held the vase containing the thrashing cuckoo steady. Muffled screams of "Let me out" and "Coco Puffs" could be heard from within the vase's narrow curvaceous porcelain chamber.

"Is he… gonna be okay?" asked Barry, casting a worried glance at the toucan and rabbit clutching the vase holding Sonny.

"Oh, yes," Sam replied with complete confidence, "He will calm down in a few minutes."

"Or a few hoursh. The poor, pshychotic cuckoo," Trixie shook her head slowly in empathy for Sonny, "They won't let him go to rehab. They're exshploiting hish addiction!"

Barry's eyes widened and began writing down this information.

"Well, I was doing fine on my own," Toucan Sam began, "Then, they stuck me with three nephews like some long-nosed, rainbowfied Donald Duck! They are not even my real nephews! They reside in the rainforest. I try to call them on weekends, but they do not speak English!"

"I'm so sorry, sir."

"I thank you," the toucan gave a nod, showing his gratitude for Barry's sympathy.

"Yo, Trixie, why not tell Benson 'bout that incident at the supermarket?" Chip suggested, slouching casually in his seat.

"Yesh!" Trixie let go of the jittering vase, leaving only Sam to hold it still. She hopped into her chair with one leap and sat down, "Wait till you hear thish!"

"Go ahead. I'm ready," Barry said after pulling out a clean sheet of paper.

"Okay, it went like thish," the rabbit began, "It wash a shunny day and I wash on my daily hop around the block. I have to retain my figure, you know."

"You have no figure, you ball of fluff!" Chizzler shouted, pointing an accusing primary feather at Trixie.

"Don't tesht me, Chick-fil-A reject!" the insulted rabbit shot back, her nose twitching angrily.

"How dare you mock me, foolish mortal!" the rooster countered.

"Enough of this!" Sugar Bear hammered his mighty fist onto the desk. The impact of the blow caused it to split with a loud crack. The legs of the desk screeched almost in agony of being broken in half. The split halves fell inward, giving it the look of a dog doing the splits. Fortunately, Barry had grabbed his notes and flew from his chair before he went down with his bug-size desk. Sugar Bear's ears rested sideways in embarrassment. He cleared his throat and bent over to retrieve his open briefcase and the boxes of cereal that had fallen out, "Sorry. I will replace the desk."

"Thank you, Mr. Bear. That would be great," said the little bee, still recovering from the sudden destruction of the desk.

"Yes," Before Sugar Bear could retrieve the stray box of Coco Puffs, Tony swiped it. He looked at her questioningly. The bear rolled his eyes and sighed as he turned his head away from the hungry tigress' challenging leer.

Tony effortlessly tore open the box of cereal and the bag that sealed the sweet chocolate puffs with an unsheathed retractable claw. The remaining individuals within the room, excluding the sleeping cricket and the trapped cuckoo, watched her devour the Coco Puffs like a ravenous predator, box bulging from the width of her muzzle.

"Hey, Garfield, you should quit eating like that! You're getting fat like Puffball!" the rooster shouted upon observing Tony's eating habits and the rounded lump on her waistline.

As Trixie furiously gave the seat of her chair a few thumps with her foot, Tony pulled her maw from the box of cereal and whirled upon Chizzler, the bridge of her nose heavily wrinkled with a snarl and exposing her gleaming white fangs. Though the crumbs clinging to her facial fur probably made her appear less frightening, the rooster crouched as low as possible in his chair.

"I am NOT fat, you moronic chicken!!" Tony roared in Chizzler's face, "I'm pregnant!!"

"We mentioned it to him eight or nine times before we came here," Chip mused to himself.

"Congratulations!" Barry chirped as cheerfully as he could in attempt to break the hostilities.

"Yeah, right," the tigress scoffed. She licked her paw and proceeded to groom her face, "Whether I wanted to or not, I was bred to a tiger I never met before in my life just so they would have a mascot to take my place."

Barry was appalled, "They… actually made you… mate with someone you don't know?"

"What do you think?" Tony set down the now almost empty cereal box, showing off the lump in her gut where life was growing, "I didn't swallow a basketball!"

"Unbelievable!" the little bee scribbled down this information down, finding it somewhat difficult due to the lack of a hard surface.

"Well, it's all real, Benson," said Chip with a solemn look in his eyes, "It happens all the time with whatever animal humans can get their hands on."

Barry could hardly believe this new revelation that was relayed to him and he continued writing, with a little more aggression.

Sugar Bear was the first to notice Barry's newly agitated mood and he spoke, "Mr. Benson, do not get so worked up about it. There's nothing we can do about that. No matter how much we may get accomplished, humans will always have some control over us."

"Yes," Tony nodded in agreement, her eyes suddenly gleaming with determination, "But they will never have control over my cubs."

"That ish aweshome. Now may I pleashe finish my shtory?"

"Oh, yes. Go ahead," Barry nodded for the rabbit to finish what she had started until being rudely interrupted by Chizzler. Before she continued, she turned to the rooster with a menacing glare.

"If you interrupt me again, I'll shtuff you in the vashe with Shonny."

Chizzler crossed his wings and sulked in his chair.

"Now, what happened wash…" Trixie began, "I walked into a local shupermarket to buy shome Trixsh cshereal. When I got to the checkout, the cashier shaid I can't have the Trixsh."

Barry gave Trixie a look of confusion, "Why not?"

"Caushe I'm a rabbit! That'sh shpecshiesh deshcrimination!"

"Now that's not fair."

"I know!" Trixie's fur puffed out crossly, "Do you know what he shaid nexsht? 'Shilly rabbit, Trixsh are for kidsh'! Then he laughed at me! Then the resht of the cashiersh laughed! They all 

laughed at me like a pack of demented hyenash! I would've kicked all their ashesh if they hadn't thrown me out!"

"I'm sure you would have," Sam said sarcastically.

. . .

"My character wasn't even important enough to get a name!" Chizzler squawked, "They don't even use their mascots for commercials anymore. Like with my relatives, their picture was taken and they were sent off and found later deep friend as McNuggets in some kid's Happy Meal! It may be happy for them, but it sure ain't happy for us!"

Sugar Bear smacked his forehead with a large paw, "Chizzler… McDonald's Chicken McNuggets are not made of real chicken. It's synthetic chicken."

"Not everyone knows that!"

Barry looked up at the clock. His session with the Breakfast Bunch was suppose to end an hour ago. The caffine keeping him awake was beginning to wear off.

"Hey, Benson? What time is it?" Chip queried curiously.

Barry yawned and pointed at the clock upon the wall for the animals to look. They removed themselves from their seats, excluding Sonny. Sam removed the cuckoo, who had fallen asleep half an hour ago, from the vase.

"I'm sorry we stayed so long, Mr. Benson," Sugar Bear apologized. He felt quite embarrassed for not keeping track of time.

"It's alright, Mr. Bear," Barry droned.

Sugar Bear raised a furry brow at the little bee's extreme drowsiness, "Are you feeling okay?"

"Oh, I'll be fine. I just need a little sleep."

"A long vacation is what you need. You look like you've been too overworked too long," Chip proclaimed.

"I agree, sir," Toucan Sam nodded, still holding the sleeping cuckoo under one wing.

"How about you take it eashy a few monthsh?" Trixie suggested.

"Months?" Barry's eyes nearly popped out of his head, "You want to wait that long?"

"It will give us plenty of time to prepare," said Sugar Bear.

"And work on your issues," Barry added, "There seems to be a lot of anger between you all."

"Yes. I admit we have many issues to work out before our first trial. Let's wait until summer to have our first trial."

"Okay, then," the bee smiled sleepily, "Summer it is."

The animals left the office with a few delayed moments of Sugar Bear struggling through the office doorway, more screaming from Vanessa's customers, and one more struggle with the front door.

Barry sighed. His wings were aching for hovering in place for hours. He perked up as soon as Vanessa walked in. Her eyes widened in shock as she surveyed the mess in the middle of the office.

"Barry..! What… What happened?" the florist questioned upon approaching the hovering bee. She held out a hand for him to land.

"It's a long story, Vanessa," Barry replied, letting his body land in the florist's hand, "One filled with a lot of issues."


	5. The Sleeping Bee

Pony: Sorry for the wait! Here's the next chapter!

Disclaimer Dude: No…

Pony: Disclaim, Disclaimer Dude.

Disclaimer Dude: Pony doesn't own Bee Movie or any references that may appear in this fic.

_**Garden of Whispers**_

_**Chapter Five: The Sleeping Bee**_

The sun began to sink, disregarding its duty of the few more hours of sunlight upon the Earth as it had in the previous seasons of the year. A blanket of darkness covered the metropolis, tucking it in bed early. The air was dropping in temperature and the fog was crawling out of the harbor and creeping into the city like a swamp creature. The final customer of the day walked out the door with a lovely bouquet that matched the colors of the sunset. Vanessa released a tired sigh and reached for the broom to clean up the scattered bits of the day's work.

"Oh, I'll get those," said Barry, flying toward a couple of flower petals on the floor out of the broom's reach. The little bee picked up the pair of flower petals in each hand and dropped them onto the collected pile of dirt, leaves, and other miscellaneous objects Vanessa had swept.

"Thank you, Barry," the florist smiled sweetly at the bee as she leaned on her broom.

"No problem, Vanny," Barry returned Vanessa's sincere grin.

The bee and the florist gazed into the eyes of one another until the bristles from Vanessa's broom gave away. The broom slipped away and she went down, letting out a startled yelp. Her left hand came into contact with a nearby potted cactus. A multitude of cactus needles had detached and drove themselves aggressively into the woman's skin like the quills of an angry porcupine. She sat up and held her afflicted hand, the needles jutting out as if it were a pin cushion.

"Vanessa, are you okay?" Barry asked with concern gracing his features.

"Oh, Barry, I'm fine," the florist smiled at the worried little bee, "I just fell on the floor."

"And your hand fell on the cactus," stated Barry as he advanced upon Vanessa's hand, "Let me get those."

"Oh," Vanessa properly positioned her hand for Barry. She flinched when he pulled out the first needle, "Ow!"

"I'm sorry, I'm sorry!" the little bee apologized sincerely with a look of guilt for unintentionally hurting his dear friend.

"Barry, it's okay," the florist reassured with a casual smile, "It's not your fault."

"Yeah. Yeah, you're right," the bee's eyes lit up and his lips morphed into a mischievous grin, making it obvious to the human that he was about to make one of his usual comical remarks, "It's the cactus' fault."

Vanessa chuckled at the bee, "Yes, it was the cactus."

"After all you've done for the cactus, it ought to be ashamed of itself," Barry tossed the needle onto the pile swept by the broom and he pointed accusingly at the cactus, "I always suspected that cactus was evil."

"Oh, did you?" the florist gave a slight mischievous smirk.

"Maybe," the bee replied with a matching expression.

Vanessa laughed as Barry's tiny hands gently grasped onto the next needle. The insect's facial expression showed nervous concern as he continued to hesitate on pulling the needle out. The florist instantly knew her friend's intentions were making his task painless for her.

"Barry, I know you don't want to hurt me, but it's going to hurt no matter how gentle you are," Vanessa relayed.

"I know, Van," Barry responded in a somewhat disappointed tone, "I just-want to make this as less painful for you as I possibly can.

Vanessa smiled sweetly, "It's very sweet of you, Barry…"

Barry grinned almost sheepishly and his heart felt a wondrous glowing warmth.

"But, I think you should get it over with," the florist finished.

"Alright then," the little bee tightened his grip on the cactus needle and yanked it out. He quickly moved on to the next one and repeated the process until Vanessa's hand was free of cactus needles, "Better?"

"Yes," Vanessa nodded with a grateful smile, "Thank you."

"Anytime."

Vanessa rose to her feet and finished tidying up the shop. After turning off all the lights, she threw on her coat and locked up. Her little bee made a mad dash to her shoulder. Barry pulled the collar of her coat over his body as he pressed up against her warm neck to further protect himself from the frigid air.

Barry shivered, "If it gets any colder, I'm gonna need pants."

Vanessa laughed.

...

The comforting warmth of Vanessa's apartment welcomed the two newcomers. The florist pulled her coat off and tossed her keys upon a nearby nightstand next to a potted plant with Barry still clinging to her neck.

"I'm going to make dinner now, Barry," Vanessa informed the bee on her shoulder.

"Need any help?" Barry asked, rubbing his eyes.

"No, thank you," the woman replied, taking a small Honey Baked Ham from the refrigerator, "Just take it easy."

"Oh, okay," the bee flew from the human's shoulder as she bent over to set the ham into the oven. He let out a yawn and directed himself to his usual spot at the dining table. Barry settled at the pink plastic dining set that was originally meant for dolls. As Vanessa was occupied with preparing the meal, the little bee was struggling to prevent sleep from overtaking his consciousness. It was no use, for he was too exhausted and the caffine had completely worn off. The bee nodded off in his sitting position.

"Barry!" the addressed bee's eyes instantaneously snapped open.

Barry, now alert, observed that dinner was sitting upon the table. He felt embarrassed for dozing off and he looked up at the woman sitting next to him, "Sorry, Vanny."

Vanessa smiled and cut a tiny piece of ham for the bee, "I hope you enjoy it."

"Oh, I'm sure I will," Barry carved through the tiny piece of meat with his plastic knife that came with the toy dining set. The very instant he sank his teeth into a bite-sized bit of the sweet ham, the bee collapsed into a deep sleep with his face in his plate.

"Barry?" Vanessa said to the bee. She waited for a response, but none came. She let out a great sigh of relief and her worries that were for her tiny friend were lifted from her shoulders. The florist gently picked him up and headed for the couch. She advanced upon a fluffed-up throw pillow that rested comfortably at the near end and she carefully placed the be in the very center of it. Then, she skillfully removed Barry's jacket, tie, and shoes. It was a trick she had developed over time; the bee would spend the night at her apartment a few times a week and having such a small friend had considerably sharpened her hand-eye coordination. She set the tiny shoes and tie on the armrest of the couch while covering the sleeping bee's body with his jacket. After he was tucked in, the woman gently brought the ball of her index finger to his fuzzy head and gave it a little stroke. The black and yellow insect rolled over, his cheek coming into contact with the florist's finger. He smiled in his sleep and gave the warm finger a small nuzzle. She suppressed a delighted giggle as her heart melted. After giving her little companion one final stroke to his head, the florist left him alone.

...

_Barry sat up from his previous position and he surveyed the room. It was dark. Really dark, and there was an eerie atmosphere lingering about. The bee squinted into the inky blackness and recognized Vanessa's silhouette. Why would she be wandering around in the dark? Surly, she would've turned on a nightlight of a sort. A sharp chill ran through his body. Something wasn't right, his instincts were telling him. Suddenly, two piercing red eyes appeared at the far end of the room and the florist didn't seem to notice. Fear for her safety immediately shot through him. The little bee leaped into the air and darted toward his friend. The gleaming eyes were increasing in size, indicating that whatever creature they belonged to was getting closer. He flew in front of the human's face and shouted her name. The insect received nothing in return and he looked back at the mysterious creature. A pair of blood-stained fangs shimmered in the darkness below the eyes. The bee panicked and shouted his warning to the human again, only to receive the same response as before. The creature let out a menacing growl as it drew closer and closer. _

"_RUN, VANESSA, RUN!!" Barry shouted repeatedly, his voice cracking from the exertion on his vocal chords. He glanced back at the creature and was now able to see that the outline of the creature appeared to be a canine. A large canine. The bee made another desperate attempt to warn Vanessa, only to be ignored as if he wasn't even there._

_Barry charged at the canine, hoping to draw its attention away from Vanessa. The creature snarled viciously and its jaws snapped at him like a steel trap. The bee averted the teeth and he whirled around just in time to see a large paw sailing towards him. He went crashing to the floor with the wind knocked out of him. The little bee laid there on his back, dazed and his entire body in agony. He wanted to rush to the florist, but his limbs wouldn't budge. With his vision beginning to fade, he remained on the floor helpless and terrified for his friend. He caught a quick glimpse of the monstrous canine advancing upon Vanessa. To his horror, the canine pounced upon her and he felt his stomach twist as the woman let out an ear-splitting scream and the sickening sounds of the creature's lust for blood being satisfied. Before the little bee's vision faded completely, he felt his heart rip right in half for the loss of his beloved friend._

...

Barry bolted upright as he awoke from his slumber in a surge of terror. His heart was racing and his fuzz and clothes were drenched in cold sweat. His eyes observed the dark room in panic as if searching for anything that may have indicated what had happened in his nightmare to be true. It seemed much too real. The fear, the panic, the pain, the sickness, the heartbreak. It all felt as if it really happened. His thoughts went to Vanessa and he felt his stomach turn to lead and pulls on his heartstrings. The worried little bee kicked his jacket off and he took off for the florist's room. He didn't need to worry about bumping into anything in the darkness. He could find his way around the apartment wearing a blindfold. He swooped under the crack of the closed door that belonged to his friend's room and he gazed at the form resting peacefully in the bed. The bee's entire body was swept with relief and he flew to her. He landed next to her hand which was laying abreast to her chest and he gazed at her face. He was captivated by her serene beauty that was being bathed by the moonlight pouring in through the nearby window. He finally collapsed on her hand, thanking Beejesus and everyone else that he could think of that she was okay. The little bee absorbed the warmth and softness of the hand as he nuzzled it affectionately.

"I love you…" Barry whispered softly and he flew to the right side of her head, which was facing the ceiling. He crawled under a thick lock of hair and curled up beside her ear. The little bee yawned and fell into a peaceful sleep.


End file.
